March Diary !

30th March - The month is drawing to an end now, spring growth is well under way, Snowdrops and Daffodils have bloomed and mostly faded now, Lesser Celandine, a few Wood Anemones and Primroses are flowering now, a few Dog Violets are starting to flower, and on the sunnier aspects of the woodland a few Bluebells are starting to flower.

Bluebells

Best places to look for the Bees has been the willow catkins, being the best source of pollen and nectar in the woods at the moment.

 This morning I did catch sight of another Buff Tailed Bumblebee queen feeding on some Lesser Celandine.

Queen Buff Tailed Bumblebee

Some nice bird sightings this morning, Great Tit , Blue Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin, Green Woodpecker, Wood Pigeon, Jackdaws Stock Dove and the Little Owl was sunning itself on the old favoured tree.

Long Tailed Tit

Stock Dove

Little Owl

29th March - Bright sunny morning but still quite cold, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch heard calling as I entered the woodland, quickly followed with the "teacher teacher" calls of the Great Tit. At Two Ponds the Jackdaws were again squabbling around the nesting holes in their favoured tree.

Jackdaw

Blue Tits, Great Tits all along the trails, with a few Robin, a single Wren, Blackbird , Song Thrush a pair of Mistle Thrushes around the old air raid shelters. I seem to be seeing a lot of these just lately

Mistle Thrush.

Around the glades a distant Pheasant(43) could be heard calling but not seen and a fly over Common Gull (44) A single cock Yellowhammer was sitting on the shaved hedging alongside the track. Still no sign or sound of the Chiff chaffs yet, no Butterflies or Bees today.

26th March -  After the warm temperatures of yesterday it was back to the cold grey skies of our unpredictable spring weather. Not many birds on show today apart from a very good view of the Little Owl, several Nuthatches could be heard calling but not seen, Great Tits were very common all around the woodland, and I am still yet to hear the call of the Chiffchaff, I noticed that these are starting to arrive back in the country.
A few Common dog-Violets have started to flower.

Common Dog-Violets

23rd March - Fleece was back on today,  lower temperatures again,  just one Buff Tailed Bumblebee seen today. Birds seen along the Woodland trails included  Jackdaw, Wood Pigeon, 2 Long Tailed Tits, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Dunnock, Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Song Thrush, a single Goldcrest, Magpie, Jay and Carrion Crow,
Nuthatch heard calling but not seen, Great Spotted Woodpecker in flight, and the Little Owl was seen flying from its nesting burrow to a nearby tree. Two Treecreepers seen today.

Treecreeper

Song Thrush

A walk through the glades in search of Yellowhammers (42) produced a pair,  the first sighting this year for me, three Goldfinch,  a single Chaffinch singing its heart out. a pair of Mistle Thrushes.

Yellowhammer

Mistle Thrush.

Cock Chaffinch

That's twenty two species, finally broken through the previous twenty species barrier for this site.

Just a few Wood Anemones breaking through, not a very good show at the moment. even the Lesser Celandines not that impressive this year.

Wood Anemone

Lesser Celandine

One of the many Grey Squirrels that inhabit Ashenbank woods, still finding a few sweet chestnuts from their winter stash,

Grey Squirrel 

22nd March - Spring has finally arrived, a beautiful sunny morning, fleece not required. woods were full of Birdsong and the first Buff tailed Bumblebees have finally emerged from their hibernation, a few in the woodland, most seen around the willow catkins. together with good numbers of Western Honey bees. Strangely this emergence has coincided with the first Bees being seen in the garden.

 Queen Buff tailed Bumblebee 

Western Honey Bee

These Western Honey bees seem to be gathering plenty of pollen from the willow catkins, and certainly the place to search for them.

The first Butterfly of the year was also seen today, and appropriately a Brimstone, flying too fast along the edge of the woodland for a photograph.

Bird sightings included  Skylark, Meadow Pipit (41), Great Tit, Blue Tit, Robin, Jackdaw, a small flock of Starlings, Moorhen at Henhurst pools, Dunnock .

Meadow pipit

Nuthatch

I was pleasantly surprised seeing the Nuthatch  investigating last years nesting site, this one looks like the male with the dark rusty red under its wings, another  Nuthatch could be heard calling close by, 

   
21st March - Earlier than usual walk in the woods today revealed a few Rabbit sightings with one very young Rabbit on view, I only mention this because I do not see many Rabbits in the woodland normally, plenty of Grey Squirrels along the trails, bird sightings today included Chaffinch, Wren, Blue Tit, Robin, Redwing (3) Song Thrush, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Wood Pigeon, at least three, possibly four Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming, the Little Owl at its usual haunt, a brief flight view of a Treecreeper.

This little Bonnet fungi caught my eye growing through an old cow pat. not sure what it is, possibly a "Drab Bonnet".

 19th March -  Walking up from the car park this morning past the fading Snowdrops, still cloudy and cold, I disturbed a few Chaffinch, Great Tit and Blue Tit that were searching  through the leaf litter. down at Two Ponds the Jackdaws were very vocal until I pointed the camera in their direction resulting in a mass exodus from their tree.  A small flock of Redwings, no more than six or seven flew  over the treetops, I thought these should be on their way back to their breeding grounds by now.

As I approached the Little Owl tree, I did not really expect to see anything, as the Little Owl has been absent of late, but a second glance revealed the Little Owl sitting outside its nesting burrow, to which it quickly returned when it caught sight of me watching him, nice to see him back though.

Little Owl

The walk up through the glades did not reveal any Yellowhammers as yet, but in the horse paddocks at the top of the glades, a few Thrush moving around on the ground turned out to be some more Redwings, with a Green Woodpecker at the back of the paddock. four Magpie still, with lots of Wood Pigeons around.

Redwing

A distant Green Woodpecker

Back in the woodland, Stock Dove numbers have increased to five now, but very flighty. a few Carrion Crows seen nearly all in pairs now. the rusty red rumps of a few fleeing Wren picked out, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Robin. all seen around the undergrowth.

18th March - Due to DIY commitments the dog walking duties have been left to the wife, but it was back to normal this morning, although the bright sunshine of yesterday had returned to the dull cloudy weather, and still quite cold, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming briefly this morning together with the call of the Nuthatch both remained unseen though, The Jackdaws were squabbling in their nesting tree near Two Ponds, a few sightings of Great tit, Blue Tit, Dunnock and Robin around the woodland and not much else, Chiff Chaffs should be arriving soon, (23rd March last year ) but none heard this morning, five Magpies  seen in the glades.

Magpie landing in the glades

I checked out a Goat Willow whose catkins were in full bloom in the hope of a Bumblebee sighting, still too cold I fear, none seen.

Willow Catkins 

Back in the woodland some early signs of the Wood Anemone starting to appear in the sunnier aspects of the woodland.

Not sure if this is a Lichen or fungi, it was growing on the bark of a living Ash Tree

14th March -  A cold bright morning, for today's walk, birds noted today were a pair of Mallard (40) on Two ponds, which brings this year's species list to forty. but these flew off as I approached, Jackdaws in the old dead tree next to Two ponds. Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming,with another two seen in flight, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush and Blackbird seen around the woodland, still plenty of Robins to be seen. Great Tit, Blue Tit in good numbers, but the hoped for Marsh Tit did not show today. a male Kestrel flying low across the glades reminiscent of a Merlin, Carrion Crows and Magpie in the fields with at least six Skylarks seen, probably more hidden in the grass, and the usual Wood Pigeons.
 Still no sign of any Bee's, not surprising with the low temperatures

11th March - Cold damp and very misty morning, conditions too damp to risk the camera, big mistake. Visibility was quite low but a view birds still on show, Jackdaws and Stock Dove in an old Sweet chestnut tree, a few Carrion Crows sitting it out high in the treetops, a distant Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming somewhere within the woodland, quite a few Song Thrushes seen this morning with a few male Blackbirds, the only birds of note around the glades were a pair of Dunnocks that allowed a very close view, a quick look for the Yellowhammers was unsuccessful
Back in the woodland I disturbed a small group of Chaffinches which flew up into a bush together with Great Tit and Blue Tit, and then something different caught my eye, a Marsh Tit (39) a very scarce bird for this woodland, its been nearly two years since I last saw a Marsh Tit here in the woodland, not only that, it appeared to circle me in the bushes giving very good views, I imagined it saying " I bet you wish you had your camera with you now " at least I know they are still around in the woodland.

phone picture - freezing mist 

8th March- A cold frosty morning, several Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming away around the woodland but none seen, Still good numbers of Robins and Blackbirds around the woodland, a brief view of a Stock Dove flying over the woodlands, Blue Tit and Great Tit and Chaffinch seen.
No Yellowhammers yet and no further sign of any Little Owls.

 Daffodils are mostly in full bloom now, Snowdrops have faded away and just the odd Lesser Celandine seen, no sign of any Common Violets or Wood Anemones let alone any Bee's.

3rd March - A Bright sunny morning, although the temperature was a bit on the chilly side, a quick look for the Scarlet Elfcups revealed nothing at all, I wonder whether the wood clearance carried out by the land management team in the autumn to open up the area has anything to do with their absence. A few bird species noted today included Blue Tit, Robin, Jackdaw, Jay, Blackbird, Song Thrush, a Nuthatch could be heard calling but not seen.

As I walked up through the glades a distant male Great Spotted Woodpecker  could be seen in the upper most branches of a tree, looking slightly surreal.
 And a rear view as it flew away showing the spots on its wings for which its named.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

A little further on a Green Woodpecker  also perched high in a tree, this time I was  a little slow  with the camera, it spotted me and flew off.
A single Skylark in the top meadows and a distant Buzzard circling in the sky.

Back in the woodland, the much photographed old Hornbeam in the open pasture, was breaking out into bud.

Hornbeam Buds

February Diary 2016

29th February - Spring like morning, sun shining, temperature warming up and birds singing.  Daffodils have finally made an appearance in the woodland, Song Thrush, Blackbird and Chaffinch foraging in the leaf litter, Jackdaws in their nesting tree,  two Carrion Crows in the woodland, Wren, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long tailed tit seen in the treetops, Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker heard calling but not seen,  two Treecreepers together this morning was an unusual sighting, first sighting of a Stock Dove (38) today, Wood Pigeon, Jay and eight Magpies in a single flock.

23rd February - Another fine sunny morning although there was a chill to the air, Woodland beginning to show more and more signs of spring now, leaf buds appearing, birds singing.

The private woodland next to Ashenbank, separated by a unnecessary fence, which divides the wood in two, and not the most friendly of landowners either, is now undergoing coppicing works, lots of chainsaw noise, and smoke from there fires, very annoying, I wonder if they will sell this part of the wood to the Woodland trust after they have removed their timber, time will tell.

Back to Ashenbank, a few more wild flowers starting to appear, I don't normally give this delicate little creeping plant much of a look,  unless there's an interesting Bee upon it, this caught my eye today mainly for the fact that it's the first I have noticed this year, flowering usually occurring March to June, so a week or so early.

It's not actually an Ivy it belongs strangely to the Dead-nettle family, it smells a little like Blackcurrant.

Ground Ivy

Finally found a Scarlet Elfcup today albeit not in very good condition, it was about this time last year that I first began to notice them. hopefully there will be a few more specimens to photograph over the next week or so.

Scarlet Elfcup

 The Woodland Daffodils are finally breaking out into flower now as the Snowdrops  are beginning to fade.

Female Chaffinch.

Birds noted today included a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming away at the top of the Dead Chestnut tree near the car park, a few Song Thrush and Blackbird noted  hunting around in the leaf litter. Chaffinches seemed prominent today, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin and a fine looking Nuthatch

19th February - Clear night meant heavy frost in the woodland this morning, Two ponds and Ashenbank pond frozen. but there was lots of birds on view, in particular Robins, there seemed to be a Robin every fifty yards or so, with four Robins seen together in one bush. albeit with two engaged in some aerial combat.

Robin

Lots of Jackdaws around the woodland with a few Carrion Crows, a Green Woodpecker was disturbed from a tree where Jackdaws were nest prospecting.

Distant Green Woodpecker

The two Bullfinch were seen again high in the treetops , the males Pink breast standing out like a beacon. still very flighty, still no photograph.

Two Kestrel sightings, the first was a pair flying over the glades, and then the male seen again in the woodland.

Kestrel.

A few Song Thrush, Blackbird, Wood Pigeon, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Chaffinch and a Nuthatch heard calling but unseen.

17th February - Another beautiful morning with some warmish sunshine, lots of Birdsong this morning, Great Spotted Woodpeckers drumming echoing around the woodland, Nuthatches calling unseen this morning, no sign of the Bullfinches unfortunately ,but plenty of other birds seen along the trails, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Jay and Magpie representing the corvids.

Carrion Crow

A lone Starling(37) flying over the woodland, strangely the first I have recorded on my mornings walk. Blackbirds, Song Thrush, Hedge Sparrow, Robin, Great Tit, BlueTit, Long Tailed Tit.
Around the glades, Wood Pigeons a plenty, two Green Woodpeckers and a single Skylark, Mistle Thrush.  female Chaffinch and to finish the day another Tree creeper seen quite high on a chestnut tree. after a long absence I seem to be encountering these more frequently now. twenty species in all today.

Treecreeper checking every crevice

Treecreeper well camouflaged

16th February - Beautiful blue skies this morning, but cold hard frost still covering the undergrowth where the sun has not reached. the usual Jackdaws Carrion crows and Wood Pigeons greeted us as we walked around the Two pond area, Six Magpies having a bit of a argument in the treetops, ( Six for gold apparently).

This little Cuckoo Flower or Ladies smock is always the first of its kind to flower, it's growing on top of an old decayed tree trunk, I have noticed its tiny flowers appearing for the last couple of years now.

Cuckooflower or Ladies smock

Back along the trails Blackbirds, Robins Blue Tits and Great Tits were all very prominent.

Once again on the edge of the Woodland, Two Bullfinch were seen high in the treetops, I could just not auto focus in the right spot to get an photograph, so with a bit of imagination and for record purposes only an impression of a Bullfinch, you can just make out the rosy pink breast,white rump, slatey grey back and black cap.

Bullfinch impression.

Very frustrating that, I have never photographed a Bullfinch before ,maybe next time, that's two occasions in the last few weeks our paths have crossed.
This was easier to photograph, a pair of Nuthatches(36) feeding around some old Hornbeam trees, first one seen this year, although I have heard them calling in the woodland. A few Wrens seen and just one Dunnock, no sign of the Little Owl.

Nuthatch

11th February - The frost did not seem as extreme as the weather forecasters had foretold, and most had dissipated by the time I arrived at the woodland, some serious undergrowth cutting going on this morning by a huge tractor , so a lot of disturbance around the Two pond area, in fact no birds seen at all.
As  I approached the edge of the woodland a Ring necked Parakeet caught my eye, high in the tree tops.

Ring necked Parakeet.

The walk through the glades produced  four Skylarks, making a half hearted attempt at a display flight.

Skylark 

Robins are very common at the moment all around the woodland trails. always nice to see.
a few other birds noted Blackbird, Song Thrush, Chaffinch.

10th February - Another cold morning with much the same birds being seen, Carrion Crow but no Jackdaws seen today unusally, Wood Pigeons and a single Collared Dove(34) near the glades, no sign of any Stock Doves at the moment. Two Ring Necked Parakeets near the orchards no sign of any Fieldfare. Lots of Robin sightings this morning in the woodland, the usual Blackbirds, just one

Song Thrush this morning, a single skulking Dunnock,  small roving Tit flock with Blue, Great and Long Tailed Tits moving through the trees. a female Chaffinch, three Jays in the Little Owl tree but no sign of the Owl today. Large bird flying over the woodlands turned out to be a Grey Heron (35)heading towards Henhurst lake in the park. Great Spotted Woodpecker heard drumming in the woodlands.

  9th February - Although the sun was shining there was still a chill to this mornings walk, there seemed to be more birds on show today, as I walked towards Two ponds I was greeted with a Blackbird and Song Thrush  searching through the grass alongside the trail, in fact Song Thrush song was very prominent this morning with various birds competing with various chords from there song repertoire. Robin and Wren were also quickly added to the day's tally, Jackdaws were seen exiting a hole high up in the trees, three Carrion Crow were searching intently for something in the mud, seemed reluctant to leave as I approached. a Few Wood Pigeon  perched high up in the Sweet Chestnuts along with a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming on a dead branch of the same tree.

the male Kestrel was seen once again  within the wood, probably the same one seen a few days ago.

Kestrel

    The Little Owl was on view outside its nesting hole, not sure if this is the same one, looks a little lighter in colour possibly a female, most likely a trick of the light.

Little Owl

No sign of any Siskins near Ashenbank Ponds, a single Dunnock seen in the hedge.
As I walked back through the woodland a few Blue Tits, Great Tits were moving through the trees , a small bird caught my eye, which turned out to be a Goldcrest,(33) very hyper, moving very fast through the undergrowth.

Goldcrest

          As I watched the Goldcrest, another bird caught my eye moving up a nearby tree trunk, a Common Treecreeper moving swiftly up the trunk and out of sight, nice bird to finish on.

Treecreeper

     All in all an interesting morning with 15 species seen around the woodland. lots of birdsong, woodpeckers drumming, echoing around the wood, more and more Daffodils coming into flower, shouldn't be too long before the first Bee's wake from their winter hibernation.

 8th February -   Storm Imogen was still buffeting the trees this morning, once again birds were keeping there heads down, a few Jackdaws flew from their nesting tree near Two ponds, Two Carrion Crows were calling noisily close by. Blackbird and Song Thrush were seen with just one Robin sighting. The Little Owl was tucked into a small crevice in its favoured tree, and another surprise sighting today the Siskin flock were back, seen feeding in a small stand of Alders opposite Ashenbank pond, some good views,but unfortunately the wrong lens on the camera.

Siskins near Ashenbank pond.

 6th February  - Another eye-watering walk in a cold wind today with very little being seen, I did notice some willow buds bursting through on a young willow tree. Spring growth is certainly showing its face around the woodland if you look closely.

This animal trail leading from the woodland ,under a fence, and out across the fields comes from an area I believe is frequented by some of our unmentionable friends of the woodland.

Tracks & Signs

 5th February - Not much seen on today's walk, a Green Woodpecker was disturbed from the glades, a Nuthatch(32) was seen flying from a Chestnut tree, the usual Great Tit, Blue Tits, Robin, Blackbird, Jay Magpie.
Snowdrops still doing well with a few more Daffodils bursting out into flower, the same goes for Lesser Celandine.
Not much on the fungi front, I have been checking last years sites for Scarlet Elfcups but nothing showing at the moment, some examples of 'Cramp ball' fungi were seen,together with this old fungi specimen, which I wondered if it could be the Hoof or Tinder Fungus.

Possible Hoof or Tinder Fungi ?

  4th February - Another bitterly cold morning, as  I parked up in the car park I could see two Blue tits very interested in a hole in an old Ash tree, probably house hunting, once again the Song Thrushes were very vocal, Blackbirds scurrying through the undergrowth and Robins perched just above the trails watching me go by. other birds noted were Great Tit, Dunnock, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Jay.
 Great spotted Woodpecker could be heard drumming this morning, and another seen high up in the tree tops.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

   On the path to the Bronze age burial mound I bumped into a Fox coming the other way, not sure who was surprised the most, he didn't hang around, these woodland foxes seem much more wary than their urban cousins.
A high pitched call, which I can just manage to hear these days, alerted me to
a  Common Treecreeper making its way up the trunk of a nearby tree, a couple of distant photographs were taken.

Common Treecreeper

3rd February - Bitterly cold wind blowing around the woodlands today, with an  occasional view of the sun, once again Song Thrushes were very prominent with lots of territorial singing going on. a few Robins seen along the trails, small flock of Tits seen, Blue, Great and a few Long Tailed.
Along the edge of the woods some Blackthorn blossom was showing.

Blackthorn blossom.

A walk down to the pond at Jeskyns end of the country park produced a single Black Headed Gull (28), a single Moorhen(29) in very bleak conditions. two Jays were in the plantation

Black Headed Gull

In the fields a few Skylark were seen.

Skylark

Back in Ashenbank woods a male Kestrel (30) was seen high up in one of the Chestnut trees,strangely as I was trying to photograph the Kestrel, I could hear some mobbing action going on, A Common Buzzard(31) drifted over the trees, allowing a quick photograph before it disappeared.

Male Kestrel

Common Buzzard

2nd February -   Another cold morning with a light rain shower, a few more birds on show today, Song Thrush seemed to be more prominent than usual with at least six seen along the trails, most digging through the leaf litter on the woodland floor. The one in the photograph seemed more interested in another singing Song Thrush near by.

Song thrush

Blackbird, Robin (4) , Chaffinch, Blue Tit and a single Great Spotted Woodpecker were all seen, but the surprise sighting of the day, were two Bullfinch (27), their white rumps and slate grey back showing well as they flew away from me. I haven't seen many of those here at Ashenbank for a while.

A couple of primroses have burst into flower near Two ponds.

Primroses near two ponds

1st February - Storm Henry was still gusting through the woodlands this morning, once again the birds were keeping their  heads down. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming from somewhere deep in the woodland, the first drumming I have heard this year. A pair of Jays were chasing each other through the treetops.
Others birds noted were a few Robin, Wood Pigeon, Blackbird. 

Daffodils February 1st

Wild flowers are restricted to Snowdrops which are appearing all around the woodland, Daffodils are still mainly at the bud stage with just a few odd flowers here and there, a couple of Lesser Celandine flowers now showing and still some White dead-nettle in flower.
Some of the cut hawthorn hedges are beginning to show new leaf growth, spring is definitely
not far away.